In Brief
Halloween
event planned
A free "Trick-or-Treating In
The Park" event will be held in
two of Flagler Parks on Oct. 31
- parks three and four. Kids
ages 13 and under are invited
to dress up in their Halloween
costumes and line up to
receive candy from 5:30 until
7:30 p.m. Children's games,
light refreshments, music and
entertainment will be part of
the scene.

Schools will
re-open Monday
Okeechobee County
Schools will open Monday,
Oct. 31.
Okeechobee County
Superintendent of Schools Dr.
Patricia Cooper also stated
that any scheduling of make-
up days will not affect the
November schedule so that
staff and parents may proceed
with plans for the Thanksgiv-
ing holiday period.

Okee-Tantie
boat ramps open
The public boat ramps,
parking lot and docks are
open at Okee-Tantie Camp-
gtouI n, ouii i.luinIIa.
Work on the campground
is continuing. The FEMA trail-
ers will be removed as all have
been deemed unsafe.

Okeechobee News/Pete Gawda
These reinforcements in the fight to restore electricity began arriving in Okeechobee
Friday morning. About 18 trucks and 30 to 40 employees gathered in the Brahman The-
ater parking lot before tackling the job of restoring electricity. One of the specialties of
this private contractor is storm restoration.

Electric power help has arrived

By Pete Gawda
Okeechobee News
Reinforcements in the battle
to restore power began arri\ ng
- in Okeechobee on Friday in the
form of 30 to 40 workers, and
about 18 trucks from Pike Elec-
tric Corporation. Although the
electrical contractor is based in
Mount Airy, N.C., some ol [he
workers sent to Okeechobee are
from north Florida. They are v\el-
erans of power restoration, hav-
ing recently worked in Mississip-
pi, Alabama and Texas to restore
power. They pulled in here after
working for three days in Vero
Beach and said they x\ould
remain in the area until power is
restored.
On Friday, Pike Electric trucks
were staging in the parking lot
beside the Brahman Theatre and
at Okee-Tantie Campground and
Marina.
Pike Electric has worked
extensively in the past for FP&L,
especially after last year's hurri-
canes.
According to Barney Ratliff,
vice president and chief adminis-
trative officer for Pike Electric, the
60-year-old company operates in
19 states.
In addition to storm restora-
tion, Pike Electric services
include overhead and under-
ground transmission and distri-
bution line construction, right-of
way maintenance and fiber-optic
installation. Pike Electric also
sells a broad selection of used
equipment.

uKeecnooee News/rete uawaa
These employees of Pike Electric Corporation, (left to
right) Scott Wilkerson, from Brooksville, Clif Bedford, from
Dade City and Al Painter, from Crystal River were among
about 30 to 40 Pike employees arriving in Okeechobee
Friday morning to help restore power. Even though the
company is based in Mt. Airy, N.C., the Pike employees
working in Okeechobee are from north Florida.

Mr. Ratliff said that some of his
employees had just gotten home
from restoring power after hurri-
canes Katrina and Rita and then
had to go out restore power after
Hurricane Wilma.
In addition to power restora-
tion from Hurricane Wilma,
some Pike Electric employees
are involved in power restoration
following an early snowstorm.
"It's the first time in Pike Elec-
tric's history that the company is

responding to both a snowstorm
and a hurricane restoration at the
same time," said J. Eric Pike,
chairman and chief executive
officer. "This season's four major
hurricanes have kept Pike Elec-
tric's storm center open around
the clock since July and it will
remain open until our crews
return form Hurricane Wilma."
This past week residents in

See Power Page 2

Ius h seks

support

for Iraq war

Growing up

in LaBelle, Fla.

with Lynda Rider

As told to MaryAnn Morris
Okeechobee News
"People only did washing
once a week. It was a lot of work
to get out the big wash boiler
pot, fill it with water, and heat it
up over the fire or on the stove!
But then, people didn't have so
many clothes. Houses didn't
even have closets. Just hooks or
nails in the walls. There were
sometimes hooks in the head of
the beds to hang clothes at
night. I had one of those beds at
one time. It's now in the muse-
um here in town.

"We had a city jail at one
time, located in Goodno Park
that was all made out of corru-
See Past Page 2

Hurricane Recovery Updates

The Okeechobee County
Agri-Civic Center, 4200 S.R. 70 E,
is no longer distributing ice and
water.
The midnight until 6 a.m. cur-
few in Okeechobee County has
been discontinued.
Indian River Community Col-
lege in Okeechobee is open and
classes are meeting at their nor-
mally scheduled times.
A boil water notice is still in
effect for Okeechobee until fur-
ther notice.
The City of Okeechobee will
begin debris removal Monday,
Oct. 31, in the southwest quad-
rant. Please separate debris into
two piles one for vegetation
and one for construction/demo-
lition debris. All debris should be
placed on a public right-of-way.
For those who live on private
roads, the debris must be moved
to a public right-of-way for pick
up service. For information, con-

tact Donnie Robertson at (863)
763-3372, ext. 213. Vegetation
debris should be less than 8 ft. in
length.
Due to safety concerns by
Sheriff Paul May and Chief of
Police Denny Davis, the commu-
nity is being asked not to have
door-to-door neighborhood
trick-or-treating. In its place, the
Okeechobee Main Street will
head up "Trick-or-Treating in the
Park" (Flagler Parks three and
four). The hours will be 5:30
until 7:30 p.m. for children ages
13 and under. Individuals may
contact Lydia Jean Williams at
the Main Street office at (863)
357-6246 or at (863) 634-9015 to
volunteer or to donate candy you
have already purchased.
First Baptist Church and More
2 Life will be hosting their annual
Fall Festival in Flagler Park six on
Monday, Oct. 31, from 5:30 until
7:30 p.m. for children fifth grade
or under. There will be no charge
for any child. Each child will

receive a free soda and hot dog.
The Osceola Middle School
girls' basketball team tryouts
have been postponed until
Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 3:45
until 5:15 p.m.
Tryouts for the Lady Brahman
girls' varsity and junior varsity
-basketball teams have been
rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 31,
and Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 2:30
until 5 p.m. in the Okeechobee
High School gym. For informa-
tion, contact coach Carey Pung
at (863) 462-5025.
The Florida Bandmasters
-Association Marching Band Festi-
val scheduled for Oct. 29 at
Okeechobee High School has
been postponed until further
notice.
The Okeechobee County
library is open and operating on
its normal schedule.
The benefit for John and Con-

nie Stanley originally scheduled
for Oct. 30 at Good Spirits has
been postponed until further
notice.-
The meeting of the Okee-
chobee Utility Authority (OUA)
planned for Tuesday, Oct. 25, has
been rescheduled for Wednes-
day, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. at 100 S.W.
Fifth Avenue.
The Big "O" Junior Teen
Anglers monthly bass tourna-
ment scheduled for Oct. 29 has
been cancelled.
The annual Central Elemen-
tary School Fall Festival will be
rescheduled at a later date.
Food, water and ice are avail-
able at local grocery stores and
restaurants.
Bulk water is available at the
K-Mart plaza and in Ft. Drum.
Please bring your own contain-
ers. Hours of operation are 8
a.m. until 6 p.m.

The Okeechobee County
Planning and Zoning meeting
has been postponed until Nov.
22 at 7 p.m. at the Okeechobee
County Courthouse, 304 N.W.
Second St.

County and city offices are
now open.
The Red Cross Shelter is open
at'the Okeechobee County Civic
Center on U.S. 98.

The Red Cross feeding station
is open at the Okeechobee
County Civic Center on U.S. 98.
The Fort Drum Little Man
Feed Store is the distribution site
for that area and will have water,
ice and boxed meals.
Updated information will be
distributed to www.okee-
chobeeeoc.com and
www.co.okeechobee.fl.us.

L--1~ _L Ir _,, ~_ _~~LLi~-LZ L_--b~YC- --I~p*II~ionIL

2 The Okeechobee News, Sunday, October 30, 2005

News Briefs,

Loans help replace
storm-damaged homes
OKEECHOBEE The Okee-
chobee Non-Profit Housing, Inc.
has received $500,000 for the
HOME Again Loan Program,
which helps homeowners with
replacement of their hurricane
damaged or destroyed homes.
The HOME Again Program will
help applicants who meet the fol-
lowing criteria:
You owned your home in
Okeechobee County and it was
your primary residence during hur-
ricanes Frances and Jeanne in
2004.
You have been unable to fix
your home due to a lack of insur-
ance or other assistance.
Your gross household income
is at or below the following levels:
one person in the household -
$24,000; two persons $27,650;
three persons $31,100; four per-
sons $34,550; five persons -
$37,300; six persons $40,100;
seven persons $42,850; and,
eight persons $45,500.
Interviews for applications for
this program are by appointment
only. To make an appointment for
an interview, call Jessie Vazquez at
(863) 467-5525. The Okeechobee
Non-Profit Housing Inc. office is
open 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday.

Historical Society
plans class reunion
OKEECHOBEE The Okee-
chobee Historical Society is plan-
ning a reunion for those graduating
or attending Okeechobee High
School before 1960, which
includes classes 1921 through
1959. The reunion will be Nov. 12
at the Shrine Club on S.R. 78 W
If you know someone that has
not received an invitation and is eli-
gible to attend, make a copy of
your invitation or contact Betty
Williamson at (863) 763-6226 or
(863) 763-3850.
Reservations should be made
before Nov. 1 no tickets will be
sold at the door.
The get-together will be from 11
a.m. until 3 p.m.
There are a limited amount of
reservation spaces available. Send
your reservation form and a check
in the amount of $25 to: Okee-
chobee Historical Society, PO. Box
248, Okeechobee, Fl., 34973.

Legislative body
will meet Nov. 21
OKEECHOBEE State Repre-
sentative Frank Attkisson, chair-
man of the Okeechobee County
Legislative Delegation, said the del-
egation's next meeting has been
changed to Monday, Nov. 21.
The group was originally slated
to meet Nov. 2.
The panel will meet from 1:30
until 4 p.m. in the chambers of the
Okeechobee County Board of
County Commissioners, 304 N.W.
Second St.
The delegation will hear con-
cerns and ideas for potential legis-
lation. Members of the community,
as well as local and county govern-
ments, may present their concerns
to the delegation at this time.
If you are want to address the
delegation, contact the Rep.
Attkisson's district office at (407)
943-3078 by Oct. 3.

- I.4

Glades County Hurricane Announcements

HALLOWEEN FUN NIGHT:
Halloween candy will be
given out Oct. 31 from 5 until 7
p.m. at Terrier Field in Moore
Haven. There will also be
hayrides, Smokey Bear, "Buck-
ets" the Fire Prevention Clown
and refreshments.
BLUE ROOFS:
Blue roofs from the Army
Corps of engineers can be
applied for at the following
location:
Doyle Conner Building 900
U.S. Highway 27
Hours of operation: 8 a.m.
until 4:30 p.m.
There is currently a nation-
wide shortage of tarps for
emergency measures due to
the active hurricane season.
Glades County officials have
requested tarps from FEMA but
do not expect to receive tarps
in the near term.
CURFEW:
A curfew remains in effect
from midnight until dawn.
WATER SUPPLY:
A majority of Glades County
residents are under a boil water
notice. All water used for
human consumption should
be boiled prior to drinking or
using for food preparation.

Power

Continued From Page 1
West Virginia, Pennsylvania and
Maryland lost power due to an
early winter storm that dumped 7
inches of snow and affected sever-

The Lakeport Water Associ-
ation has been declared safe to
resume normal consumption.
Customers of the Lakeport
Water Association no longer
need to observe the boiled
water notice.
SCHOOLS:
Glades County schools will
reopen Monday. Bottled water
and meals will be provided.
ELECTRICITY:
Glades Electric and FPL are
working to restore power. As of
Saturday evening Glades Elec-
tric expects to restore power to
all customers within five days.
FPL expects to restore power
to all customers within 13 days.
Approximately 400 customers
in Glades County currently
remain without power.
LANDFILL:
The landfill has resumed
normal operations.
DEBRIS:
Debris should be separated
into vegetative,
construction/demolition and
metal categories before it is
picked up. Vegetative debris
may be burned in locations
meeting Division of Forestry
and Department of Environ-
mental Protection regulations.

al power systems. Pike Electric has
about 150 personnel from seven
states restoring power to the
impacted areas and expects them
to head to Florida once that task is
completed.
Mr. Ratliff said some crews
were actually headed to Pennsylva-

Citizens burning vegetative
debris must have a water
source and equipment avail-
able on site for fire control.
Construction/demolition
debris and household garbage
may not be burned. Spoiled
food and household garbage
are not to be placed with other
debris for pick up. The county
has requested dumpsters to be
placed throughout the county
for spoiled food and additional
garbage. Citizens and the
media will be notified when
dumpsters are available and in
place.
FEMA:
Residents seeking assis-
tance should contact FEMA at
800-621-3362 to pre-register for
assistance. Declaration num-
ber 1609 should be referenced
during the pre-registration
process.
A temporary FEMA Disaster
Recovery Center (DRC) is
located at Avenue L and Fifth
Street. It is open from 8 a.m.
until 6 p.m.
RUMOR CONTROL:
The Glades County Rumor
Control number is (863) 946-
6021.

nia and were diverted to Florida.
He added that this has been an
unusually busy year for the compa-
ny.
About 1,260 Pike Electric per-
sonnel from 14 states are involved
in power restoration in southern
Florida.

test Qw@M* W44 % OW 1

M4 &i' s(e *df%19 gear *

Staff photo/MaryAnn Morris
After the Sears Mill closed, my dad bought this house and
moved it up to LaBelle. We added a front and back porch and
it's still here, at the corner of Riverside Street South and Fort
Thompson Avenue.

Special to Independent Newspapers of Florida/Florida Archives
The bridge over the Caloosahatchee River at LaBelle in the
early days until the arched bridge was built was a turn bridge
that required the operator to turn a crank to turn the bridge
to let the boats through.

Past

Continued From Page 1
gated tin. The concrete foundation
is still visible. That's what they used
until the courthouse was built.
When it wasn't in use any more,
my dad bought it, moved it and
fixed it up and we lived there until
they got a house from the Sears
Mill. Mom lived in that house from
1936 until 1993. It's still there at the
corner of Fort Thompson Avenue
and Riverview Street South.
"Some things here 'go 'way
back. Devil's Garden Road, it's now
renamed Cowboy Way, was an old
Indian trail that came through and
went down toward the reservation
to a small community called Devil's
Garden. My granddad was a real
loner. He lived down there several
years and when he needed things,
he would come into town in his

Model A. Another funny name is
"Monkey Town" the preferred
story on that name, is that there
was a juke joint there where the
cowboys would go and get all
drunk on the weekends and be
staggering around. People said
they acted like a bunch of monkeys
and so, they called it Monkey
Town. (Credit for this version is
given to Gran'ma Forrey.)
"Before they built the arched
bridge, there was an old crank
bridge across the river. Boats
would have to blow their horns
three times for the bridge tender to
open the bridge. When the horns
would blow, every kid in earshot
would run for the bridge to rode
around on the end of the bridge
and wave at all the people on the
boats. We thought we were so big
on that bridge, seeing how the peo-
ple on the boats lived. But that was
a long time ago.

Newszap!
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The Okeechobee News is available
daily via home delivery and is on sale
at rack and store locations throughout
Okeechobee County. Call the office to
fnd out if your home is within our
present home-distribution boundaries.
Call 877-353-2424 to report a missed
newspaper or poor delivery.
Additional copies of the newspaper
are available for 50 cents daily
through Saturday and 75 cents for
Sunday at the office. Home delivery
subscriptions are available at $29.43
for three months.
The Okeechobee News is published
every day of the year by the
Okeechobee New, 107 S.W. 17th
Street, Sutie D, Okeechobee, FL
34974. Periodicals postage paid at
Okeechobee, FL. Postmaster: Send
Address changed to Okeechobee
News, P.O. Box 639, Okeechobee, FL
34973, USPS 406-160.
Printng
Printed at Sunshine Printing, a
subsidiary of Independent
Newspapers.
Phon: 863-465-7300
Email: printing@ct.net

- 4

* *

- ump

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4kw 410
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I

The Okeechobee News, Sunday, October 30, 2005

IRCC plans high-tech conference center

The public is invited to learn
more about the far-reaching
educational and business bene-
fits of a planned Indian River
Community College Conference
and Educational Center in Okee-
chobee. A reception to
announce a $2.5 million fund-
drive for the new state-of-the-art
facility will be held on Saturday,
Nov. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the
Dixon Hendry Campus in Okee-
chobee. Guests will share in a
"Vision for the Future," joining
IRCC Board of Trustees mem-
bers Linda Syfrett and Cheryl Kir-
ton and IRCC Foundation Direc-
tors John Abney, Susanne
Clemons and Frank "Sonny"
Williamson, all of Okeechobee,
to celebrate .this new initiative
for expansion of educational
and business opportunities in
Okeechobee. Originally sched-
uled for Oct. 21, the event was
postponed due to Hurricane
Wilma. Reservations already
made for the Oct. 21 event will
be honored for Nov. 19.
The reception will celebrate
Alto "Bud" Adams' newest
book, Beautiful and Rare Birds
of Florida, a photography collec-
tion of bird life on the Adams'
ranches. Mr. Adams will auto-
graph his book, published by the
Pioneer River Press through the
IRCC Foundation, and proceeds
of the Nov. 19 event and book
sales that evening will support
the Okeechobee campus expan-
sion.
The 20,000 square-foot Con-
ference and Educational Center
will be the only facility of its kind
in Okeechobee County, provid-
ing a technologically sophisticat-
ed environment for large-scale
conferences, courses, seminars,
strategic planning sessions,
community activities and many
other events. Contributions
toward the Center will be
matched dollar-for-dollar with
State Facilities Matching Funds,
doubling the contributions of
donors.
"A deep commitment to edu-
cation and helping others is evi-
dent in the Okeechobee com-
munity, and we know we can
count on the residents of Okee-
chobee County to make this
major expansion a reality," said
Dr. Edwin R. Massey, IRCC Presi-
dent.
S Designed to address the edu-
cational, workforce,, business
and community needs of Okee-
chobee County, the Conference
and Educational Center will pro-
vide a highly versatile setting to
meet a multitude of community
purposes:
Responding to community
requests, the Center will feature
a 175-seat central Multi-Purpose
Auditorium, fully-equipped with
the latest in presentation tech-
nology.
An adjacent professional
catering kitchen will also serve
as a commercial teaching labo-

Submitted to the Okeechobee News/Hospice of Okeechobee
Educational luau
Hospice of Okeechobee staff and volunteers are preparing for their "educational luau" for
the staff of our local doctor's offices. Attendees were given information about the Hos-
pice Residence. The opening of your Hometown Hospice's Residence was also
announced. After 23 years of planning and feasibility studies the Residence is scheduled
to open early in 2006. Attending the luau were (left to right) Florence Oake, volunteer;
Enid Boutrin, social worker; Theresa Davis, volunteer coordinator; Lisa Blackman, CEO;
and Pat Gelatka, volunteer.

ratory for students in the Culi-
nary Arts Apprentice program.
The Auditorium will open to
an adjacent covered veranda for
receptions, breaks, and network-
ing sessions.
A Strategic Planning Room
will provide a high-tech setting
for business meetings with mov-
able, writable, erasable wall pan-
els and smart boards to encour-
age creativity and collaborative
problem solving. This unique
multi-media room will be brack-
eted by two smaller meeting
rooms for break-out sessions.
A specially designed Health
Science classroom will enable
the College to serve additional
students preparing for careers in
nursing and other health care
professions.
Students will prepare for
clinical internships at area hospi-
tals in the new Nursing Lab,

replicating a multi-bed hospital
nursing station.
The Biology Lab will serve
as the first fully-equipped scien-
tific laboratory at the Dixon
Hendry Campus, providing a
valuable learning environment
for students pursuing the Associ-
ate in Arts degree for university
transfer, as well as Health Sci-
ence students.
The Computer Laboratory
will serve the technology training
needs of area businesses and will
be the site for IRCC's Office Sys-
tems Technology program. Stu-
Sdents in this open-entry program
proceed at their own pace with
flexible scheduling, developing
professional expertise in the lat-
est office software.
The Conference and Educa-
tional Center continues IRCC's
expansion of the Okeechobee
campus, which began in 2000

Memorial Tribute
Remember a lot ed one
S "' nho has departed nithi a special
MAemorial Tribute in this nei paper.

Your tribute can be published following the memorial services, or to
commemorate an anniversary of your loved one's birth or passing. You
can add a photograph of your loved one, lines from a poem or
scripture, and special art or borders -- and we'll make sure it all comes
together attractively and tastefully.

Visit www2.newszap.com/memorials for sample ads
and an online order form, or call 1-866-379-6397 toll free.

with the opening of a second
classroom building, which dou-
bled available classroom space.
Tickets for the Nov. 19 "A
Vision for the Future" event are
$50 per person and $75 per cou-
ple, including an autographed
copy of Beautiful and Rare Birds
of Florida, hors d'oeuvres, soda,
wine and beer. Please call the
IRCC Foundation at 1-866-866-
4722 ext. 4786 by Nov. 11 for
reservations.

Have an opinion or a question about a public issue? Post it anytime
at the Okeechobee issues blog at http//newsblog.info/0904. It is a
hometown forum so visit the page as often as you would like and
share your comments (but no personal attacks or profanities, please).
You can also make a comment by calling our Speak Out 24-hour
opinion line at (863) 467-2033, fax (863) 763-5901 or sending e-mail
to okeenews@newszap.com. You can also mail submissions to
Okeechobee News, P.O. Box 639, Okeechobee, Fla. 34973. Com-
ments will be published in the newspaper as space permits.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK: We have no water. We have no
power. We wait in lines for gasoline. The community has been rav-
aged by a hurricane. But somehow, the Okeechobee News has been
delivered to my house every day like clockwork. The biggest storm
in recorded history tears us up and you don't miss an issue. I stopped
by your office but it is closed as there is no electricity. I don't know
how you are doing it, but keep up the good work.

WATER SHORTAGE: What is wrong with the utility authority? How
can they have no backup source for water when the lake water is so
often nasty? Years ago they talked about using a well system but they
didn't follow through. Now we are facing a major health crisis with no
sanitary facilities. I hope the newspaper does an investigation into
what went wrong and who was responsible for this fiasco.

NO POWER: I don't understand what is wrong with FPL. After
Jeanne and after Frances, we had power back faster. The damage does
not look any worse and yet we are told it will be weeks before power is
restored. It is getting cold. I have a well and without electricity I have
no water. The lines for ice and water are so long that if I tried to get ice
and water at the Ag center, I would run out of gas. FPL needs to get us
some help. They seem to only care about the big places. Well, people
in rural areas are hurting too and we need some help.

GOOD JOB: I just want to compliment the Okeechobee News on
your outstanding coverage of the hurricane and the aftermath. On
Tuesday morning, right after the storm, you had photos of the damage
and everything we needed to know about what was going on with the
county. Your reporters are doing a terrific job in the face of very difficult
conditions and they all deserve a pat on the back.

NO WATER: I keep seeing the paper every day, but your Speak Out
line isn't answering and your office is closed. Did the hurricane blow
away your answering machine? I saw in the paper that I could put in
my comments for Speak Out online, so I am trying it that way. I want
you to find out why they didn't fix the problem with the water filter sys-
tem after last year's hurricanes. They knew there was a problem then.
They had a year to fix it: Why didn't they do something? Being without
power we can handle with a generator. But going without water is not
easy. (Editor's Note: After last year's hurricane the water intake was
clogged with mud, and that was corrected. This year, Wilma's north
winds blew the water from this end of the lake to the south end.
When the water came back, the sediments were so thick they clogged
the filters and there wasn't enough water pressure to clean them. So,
OUA installed another pump in the Rim Canal that generated enough
pressure to clean the filters by pumping clean water.)

RED CROSS: I am really disappointed that the Red Cross is not
helping us. They say the grocery stores are open so we shouldn't
need help. I have no power or water and I have not been able to
work because the place where I work is closed due to no power and
water. I don't have any money coming in. I don't have any way to
cook food. They say the Red Cross has food at the Civic Center on
U.S. 98.but that is so far it would take quite a bit of gas and there are
long lines for gas. Plus, gas costs money. I will never donate to the
Red Cross again. I have given them money all my life and the one
time I needed help from them, they say there is nothing they can do
to help me. Not exacIly the 'good neighbor' they show on the TV
commercials. Maybe they spent so much money on their commer-
cials they don't have anything left to help people who are in need.

ABUSING THE SYSTEM: It is not fair that the Red Cross is not help-
ing any more, but like always some people are abusing the system. I
was lucky that I never lost power through Wilma and I am sure there
are others who didn't either but are standing in line just to get free
items, which is totally not fair. My husband had heard that they were
fed up with people complaining and abusing the system and My
father-in-law and mother-in-law do not have power, as they live in
Clewiston. They said people down there are claiming they have 14
and 16 people in their families. Now some of them may be large fam-
ilies, but come on! Some of that is just so that they can get it for noth-
ing. As far as donations did you know that only about 25 percent of
your donations go to the actual charity and the rest is overhead -
commercials, employees, etc. Sad, isn't it? Our town needs help and
it makes me sick to think if you are worthless to our community you
are the first to get help, while the working families have to struggle.

NO INFORMATION: I want to know why television stations do not
give any information about Okeechobee County during storms. Did
some of the good old boys make the networks mad, or does money
talk once again. The poor people of Okeechobee have a right to be
informed, just like the poor people of New Orleans.

Our Purpose...
The Okeechobee News is published by Independent Newspapers of Florinda
Independent is owned by a unique trust thai enables this newspaper to pur-
sue a mission of journalistic service to the citizens of the community Since no
dividends are paid the company is able to thrive on profit margins below
industry standards All after-tax surpluses are reinvested in Independent's
mission of journalistic service, commitment to the ideals of the First
Amendment of the U S Constitution, and support of the community s deliber-
ation of public issues.

We Pledge ...
* To operate this newspaper as a
public trust
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better place to live and work.
through our dedication to conscl-
entious journalism
* To provide the information citizens
need to make their own intelligent
decisions about public issues.
* To report the news with honesty
accuracy. purposeful neutrality,
fairness. objectivity, fearlessness
and compassion.
* To use our opinion pages to faciil-
tate community debate, not to
dominate it with our own opinions.
* To disclose our own conflicts of
interest or potential conflicts to our
readers.
* To correct our errors and to give
each correction to the prominence
it deserves.
STo provide a right to reply to those
we write about
* To treat people with courtesy,
respect and compassion.

Florida Press
Aswocillon
echobee News 2005
we Information See
Service On Page 2

Letter 'to the Editor

I'm suing!
This is it! I have had it! War,
pestilence, bird flu, drought,
floods, car wrecks, murder, rob-
bery, earthquakes, hurricanes,
hurricanes, hurricanes: I'm
going straight to the source -
I'm suing God!
A civil suit based on criminal
behavior.
Here is the way I see it. God
hands Moses these Ten Com-
mandments and Moses passes
them along to us. The Pope and
the preachers say we have to

obey or else. OK. I can live with
that but there is something
wrong with the scenario.
It's like our congress. They
write the laws but don't obey
them. God gives us these laws
but he doesn't obey them him-
self. He whacks 40,000 people at
one crack over there in Pakistan.
Talk about weapons of mass
destruction. God has the first
patent on WMDs.
I guess he's mad 'cause they
changed his name to Allah and
never mention he has a Son
named Jesus.

Upcoming Events

Sunday
A.A. meeting from 7:30 until 8:30 p.m. at the Church of Our
Saviour, 200 N.W. Third St. This will be an open step meeting.

Tuesday
Alanon meeting will be held at the Church of Our Saviour, 200
N.W. Third St., at 8 p.m.
Rotary Club of Okeechobee meets at the Golden Corral
Restaurant, 700 S. Parrott Ave., at noon. All Rotarians and the
public are invited. For information, contact Bill Bartlett at (863)
467-4663.
Family History Center meets from noon until 3 p.m. at the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 310 S.W. Sixth St.
Anyone interested in finding who your ancestors are is welcome
to attend. There is Census, IGI (International Genealogical Index),
Social Security Death Index and military information available. For
information, call (863) 763-6510 or (863) 467-5261.
Camera Club meetings will be every other Tuesday, from 5:30
until 6:30 p.m. Learn types and uses of film, speeds and technolo-
gy and how to see your world and capture it on film. Class is basic
through extensive. Registration is $20 and each class is $10. Call
Bobbi at (863) 467-2614 for information. Some of the proceeds
will go towards Big Lake Mission's Outreach.
Gospel Sing every Tuesday beginning at 7 p.m. The public is
invited to participate with vocal and/or instrumental music. For
information, contact Douglas Chiropractic Center at (863) 763)
4320.
The Widow and Widowers Support Group meets at 8:30 a.m.
at the Clock Restaurant, 1111 S. Parrott Ave., for breakfast. For
information, call (863) 357-0297.
The Gathering Church Overcomers Group meets at 7:30
p.m. in the fellowship hall, 1735 S.W. 24th Ave. This is a men's
only meeting. For information, call Earl at (863) 763-0139.
The Okeechobee Lions Club meets at 7 p.m. at the Golden
Corral Restaurant, 700 S. Parrott Ave. Anyone interested in
becoming a member is welcome. For information, contact Elder
Sumner at (863) 763-6076.
Bible study at the Living Word of Faith Church, 1902 S. Parrott
Ave., at 7 p.m. Informal and informative discussions bring many
Bible truths to life. The public is invited.
Grief and Loss Support Group meets every Tuesday at 10
a.m. at the Hospice Building, 411 S.E. Fourth St. Everyone is wel-
come. For information, contact Enid Boutrin at (863) 467-2321.
Bipolar Bears meets at 11 a.m. at Welcome House, 1925 U.S.
441 S.E. It is a self-help group that offers support and education
for people who have been diagnosed with clinical depression,
bipolar, schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder or dual diagno-
sis. For information, call (863) 467-1026.
Community Country Gospel will meet at 7 p.m. at the church
next to Douglas Clinic on North Park St. Any individual or group
that enjoys old time gospel music is invited to participate. For
information, contact Dr. Edward Douglas at (863) 763-4320.

Wednesday
The Okeechobee Jaycees will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Ameri-
can Legion Post #64, 510 S.E. Second St. The Jaycees would like
to welcome all energetic young people between the ages of 21
and 39, who are interested in working towards the betterment of
our community. For information, call Margaret Bowers at (863)
763-7399.
A.A meeting from noon until 1 p.m. at the Church of Our Sav-
iour, 200 N.W. Third St. It's an open meeting.
Narcotic Anonymous (NA) meet in the New Horizon building,
1600 S.W. Second Ave., from 6:30 until 7:30 p.m. For information,
call (863) 763-1191.
A.A. meeting from-8 until 9 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic
Church, 701 S.W. Sixth St. It will be a closed discussion.
Alternative Lifestyle is meeting at the A.A. Clubhouse (Sobri-
ety in the Swamp), 50 U.S. 441 S.E., at the corner of U.S. 78 and
U.S. 441. For information, call (863) 763-5385.
Lakeside Cruise'n Car Show will meet from 7 until 9 p.m. in
the Wal-Mart parking lot in front of the Garden Center. Just stop by
to show a car you may have, or check out the cars and visit with
the car owners while you listen to the great oldies music.
The Disabled American Veterans meet at 12:30 p.m. at V.F.W.
Post #4423, 300 N.W. 34th St. All Service-connected veterans are
invited. For information, call Keith at (863) 357-1335.
Martha's House offers weekly support groups for individuals
who are either directly or indirectly affected by domestic violence,
other women's issues are also addressed. One support group is
held every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Okeechobee County
Health Department auditorium, 1728 N.W. Ninth Ave. For informa-
tion, call Irene Luck at (863) 763-0202. The other support group is
held on each Thursday at 6 p.m. at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist
Church, 1057 N.E. 14th Ave. For information, call Shirlean Graham
at (863) 763-2893.

Community Events

Library hosts computer classes
The Heartland Library Cooperative will be holding basic and
advanced computer classes at the Okeechobee County Library,
206 S.W. 16th St. Basic computer knowledge and word process-
ing sills will be demonstrated, as well as how to access and navi-
gate the internet. For the dates and times of these classes, contact
the Okeechobee County Library at (863) 763-3536.

Children's Services Council aids families
Okeechobee County Children's Services Council has
announced that with the donation of funds from Everglades Ele-
mentary School, which were matched by the council, 14 families
with 48 children were helped. The families faced a great deal of
destruction during the hurricanes. Many of the children lost all of.
their clothing and toys because the roofs of their homes were tomn
off by the heavy winds. The council also received funds from an
anonymous donor and Seminole Elementary School donated a
check that they received from children in Minnesota. The addi-
tional monies granted several families assistance after the original
funds were depleted. Thanks to all the assistance from the chil-
dren and families of Okeechobee. Other families who still
requested assistance were referred to the Red Cross.
School readiness programs offered
Please call (866) 273-6340 to begin the eligibility process in
receiving reduced fee childcare/preschool, including school-
based and Head Start. You may also get information at this num-
ber regarding just what early learning programs are available in
Okeechobee County. Many children are currently being enrolled
in school readiness programs.

Center offers service to children
The Family Outreach Center at Sacred Heart offers a service to
youth and children by giving free classes in martial arts. The class-
es are currently taught four days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday
and Friday, from 6 until 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. until
12:30 p.m.

This is a class-action suit and
it's not about money. I am asking
for a hurricane moratorium, and
a cease and desist order on
tsunamis and earthquakes. I'm
not mentioning tornadoes
because I think God uses them
for entertainment when he is
bored.
I've included the Pope, Jimmy
Swaggart, Jerry Falwell, all the
rabbis and televangelists as co-
defendants. I probably should
include all those Muslim e-mams
too. Might as well include every-
one who claims a direct line to

God.
You have to understand, I
have tried prayers to solve this
crisis. It is written that we were
made in God's image, therefore;
he's pretty old so maybe his ears
are failing, like mine.
Maybe that's why these fire-
and-brimstone preachers yell so
loud from the pulpit. Anyway,
I'm going ahead with this suit.
Maybe it'll get his attention even
if I lose. Y'all will thank me later,
but I'm sorry I couldn't stop
Wilma.
Jim Shaffer

Community Events

Church hosting concert
Rayz of the Son will be appearing at Living Word of Faith
Church, 1902 S. Parrott Ave. on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. Mary
Lanier will also be performing. There is no charge for the con-
cert. Everyone is invited. For information, call the church at
(863) 763-6869.

Swimming pool hours announced
The Okeechbee Sports Complex swimming pool hours of
operation are: Aug. 8 Oct. 30, Tuesday through Friday from 4
until 7 p.m., Saturda-from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday
from 1 until 5 p.m. The pool is not open during school hours.
For information, contact the pool office at (863) 467-7667.

Alternative Halloween festival slated
The First Baptist Church and More-2-Life Ministries will host
their annual Fall Fest in Flagler Park #6 on Monday, Oct. 31,
from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. This year's Halloween alternative festi-
val is open to all ages and appropriate costumes. There will be
games, food and candy provided. For information, call (863)
763-2171.

4-H and FFA Club enrollment under way
All youth planning to participate in the 2006 Okeechobee
Youth Livestock Show may enroll now but must be enrolled by
Oct. 31, and be in good club standings by attending monthly
club meetings to be eligible to participate in the livestock show.

Training for GaL volunteers offered
Training sessions for Guardians ad Litem volunteers will be
held on three Fridays in November Nov. 4, 11 and 18. Train-
ing sessions will be from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at St. Bernadette's
Catholic Church, 350 N.W. California Blvd., in Port St. Lucie.
Volunteers must be 21 years of age, submit an application, sub-
mit to a criminal background check, submit to a personal refer-
ence check and attend 30 hours of training that includes court-
room observation and independent study.

VNA hosting free memory screenings
The Visiting Nurses Association (VNA), 208 S.E. Park St., will
host free memory loss screenings on Friday, Nov. 4, from 11
a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Screenings will be done by appointment.
To make an appointment, call Donna True at 800-861-7826, ext.
1, or (772) 285-6291. The screenings will be done by a nurse or
social worker from St. Mary's Memory Disorder Center. Screen-
ings are open to anyone concerned about mrimorylo'ss.

Diabetes support group to meet
Raulerson Hospital's diabetes support group will meet
Thursday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. in the hospital cafeteria. This is a
free community program. For information, call Wanda Haas,
RN, CDE, at (863)763-5093.

Hospice planning yard sale
Hospice of Okeechobee will hold a yard sale Friday, Nov. 4,
and Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The sale will be
held at the Hospice of Okeechobee Volunteer House at S.E.
Fourth Street and Third Avenue, next to the Hospice Residence.
All proceeds benefit patient care in Okeechobee. All yard sale
donations will be accepted at this location.

Chamber hosting chicken dinner
The Okeechobee County Chamber of Commerce will host a
barbecue chicken dinner on Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. in
Flagler Park #2. A drive-up curbside area will be designated.
The dinner will include: barbecued chicken (white meat $6 and
dark meat $5) with baked beans, potato salad, roll and a cook-
ie. Tickets are available at.the Chamber office, 55 S. Parrott
Ave.; Rustic Ranch Furniture, 123 S.W. Park St; or, from any
Chamber board member. Orders can be faxed to (863) 763-
3531 and paid for when the meal is picked up. For information,
contact the Chamber office at (863) 763-6464.

VFW Ladies group plan garage sale
The VFW Ladies Auxiliary is now accepting your donations
for their Nov. 4 and 5 garage sale to be held at the VFW Post
#10539, located 3912 U.S. 441 S.E. There will be sausage, bis-
cuits and gravy served for breakfast at the sales, as well as Slop-
py Joes for lunch at the Nov. 4 sale.

Church to host annual bazaar
The First United Methodist Church of Okeechobee will hold
their annual bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
in the church fellowship hall at 200 N.S. Second St. There will
be a variety of items including crafts, quilted items, knives, nuts,
baked goods, white elephant items and a silent auction. A lunch
consisting of soup and sandwiches will be available from 11
a.m. until 1 p.m. Proceeds from the bazaar will to mission proj-
ects. For information, call (863) 763-4021.

Hammock State Park hosts festival
Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring will hold their
20th Annual Civilian Conservation Corps Festival Nov. 5 from 8
a.m. until 4 p.m. There will be an antique car show, arts and
craft vendors, live music, kids activities, tram ride, hayrides,
CCC Alumni Reunion, a cracker cowboy poet, pony rides, living
history re-enactments and more! Park admission is $4 per car-
load (up to eight people). Arts and crafts vendors are needed.
The participation fee is $10.70 for the entire day. Contact
Dorothy L. Harris at (863) 634-7695; or, by e-mail at
dorothy.l.harris@dep.state.fl.us for information or to request a
vendor packet. Interested food vendors should contact Nancy
Davis of the Hammock Inn directly at (863) 385-7025.

Girl Scouts to host Reunion Tea
The Okeechobee Girl Scouts Pegasus Service Unit is hosting
a special Adult Tea Party for current and former Girl Scouts and
Girl Guides. All adults who have been involved in Girl Scouting
or Girl Guides over the years and those who were Girl Scouts in
their youth are invited. The tea will be held Sunday, Nov. 6, from
2 until 4 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior, 200 N.W.
Third St. The Scouts are also looking for old uniforms and
books for a display. For information, contact Laurie Pharr at
(863) 634-0465.

OPINION

I

i

The Okeechobee News, Sunday, October 30, 2005

Submitted to the Okeechobee News
An antique car show is planned as part of the festival at Highlands Hammock State Park on
Nov. 5.

CCC Festival planned for Nov. 5

Veggies vendors were part of festival last year.

By Dorothy L. Harris
Park Services Specialist
Highlands Hammock State
Park's will host its 20th Annual
Civilian Conservation Corps Festi-
val on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005 from
8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. The day gets
off to an early start with the High-
lands County Square Dancers
showing off their moves at 9:00
a.m. Following the dancing
demonstration, you'll hear live
music throughout the day. Perfor-
mances include bluegrass, rag-
time guitar, country, gospel, jazz,
rock, pop, instrumental and folk
music. At 2:30 p.m., the High-
lands Pipe Band will perform with
their bagpipes. Hank Mattson, the
Cracker Cowboy Poet will spin
yarns of early Florida at 11:30 a.m.
Your family will delight over these
tales of yesterday. Be sure and
stop at the CCC museum and visit
with one of our CCC alumni to
hear what life in the corps was
really like back in the 1930s and
40s.
Craft vendors and artisans will
provide a wide variety of hand-
made crafts. Look for homemade
jams and jellies, woodcrafts,
paintings, pottery, jewelry, floral
arrangements, stained glass and
much more. You can also buy
local fruits, vegetables, herbs and
native plants. There will be over
thirty antique and classic automrg-
biles and tractors on display. '
Kids will love to pose witli.
SFWMD'sFreddy the alligator, or

see a real, live alligator. The Divi-
sion of Forestry and Smokey Bear
will be visiting too. Highlands
County's Fire Prevention fire safe-
ty house will be here with their
robot, "Pluggy", who will help
kids learn fire safety skills. The
Non Electric Toy Company will
have handcrafted toys and the
Time Travelers will take you back
to pre 1840 with their demonstra-
tions of life in early Florida. Try the
tomahawk throw or learn some
Dutch oven cooking. Ride a Lake-
side Stables pony or horse or get
your face painted. Be sure to see
the native reptiles at the Croc
Encounters of Tampa exhibit, or
other Florida wildlife at the Wood-
land Wonders exhibit. Park staff
will provide hayrides and tram
rides through the park. The Peace
River Electric Company will teach
electrical safety with their Electric
Junction Safety City demonstra-
tion. Puppet shows will also be
held several times throughout the
day under the shade of the Big
Pavilion. The Highlands County
Blood Mobile will be hosting a
blood drive and giving donors free
T-shirts and 50 percent off tickets
to Universal Studios theme park.

Submitted to the
Okeechobee News
Connor Moran tries out the
tomahawk throw at last
year's festival at Highlands
Hammock State Park.
splits. There will also be kettle
corn, funnel cakes and nachos
this year. Plan to load up on some
goodies and then relax and enjoy
the musical entertainment or let
the kids play on the playground.
You can bring the whole family
to the CCC Festival for just $4 per
carload, the regular park admis-
sion fee. The only thing better
than coming for the day would be
coming for the weekend. A few
campsites are still available by
contacting Reserve America at
800-326-3521 or online
www.ReserveAmerica.com.

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IV:

~P5~

I CRKFTS

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Shaq saHs Heat has'all the pi.es' to nin title

Sports Briefs

"Copyrighted Material

Syndicated Content

Available from Commercial News Providers"

Lady Brahmans
hoop tryouts slated
Tryouts for the Lady Brahman
girls varsity and junior varsity
basketball teams will be held
Monday, Oct. 31, and Tuesday,
Nov. 1, from 2:30 p.m. until 5
p.m. in the Okeechobee High
School gym.
Girls in grades nine through
12 who are interested in playing
basketball must have a current
FHSAA physical.and liability form
completed before trying out.
Forms can be picked up in the
main office.
Contact coach Carey Pung at

(863) 462-5025 if you have any
questions concerning tryouts.
OHS discount cards
are now being sold
The OHS Brahman boys and
girls basketball teams are selling
their annual discount cards for
$10 each.
The card offers continuous
discounts to 18 various business-
es throughout the year.
If you would like to purchase
your discount card, contact
coach Enrico or coach Pung at
(863) 462-5043.

Great Go
By Daniel Shube
Special to the Okeechobee News
I have found a new golf book,
Great Golf that might help my
game more than if I was out on the
course. Great Golf is a compilation
of instruction from the best teach-
ers and professionals of all time.
The book is a huge 368 pages
packed with useful information
about every facet of how to play
the game. Editors Danny Peary
and Allen F. Richardson have
assembled a who's who of golf
luminaries to help you improve
your game.
What is most interesting about
this book is to see page after page
of instruction that spans three cen-
turies. While the game has
changed, the instruction from yes-
teryear still remains valid. Each
chapter is presented in chronologi-
cal order. For instance, The Short
Game: Chipping and Pitching
begins with a piece from Willie
Park, Jr. (1896) and ends with Jim
McLean commenting .on Tiger

lessons over the years

L-i !

Special to Okeechobee News
Great Golf is a compilation of
instruction from the best
teachers and professionals
of all time. The book is a
huge 368 pages packed with
useful information about
every facet of how to play the
game.
Woods (2000).
I enjoyed reading what the old
masters, such as Harry Vardon,
Bobby Jones and Byron Nelson
had to say. The chapter on the

I I
Fairways and
Highways
by Daniel Shube

Mental Game is fascinating. Booby
Jones compares golf to chess,
pool, auto racing and target sports
(such as darts). On a more mod-
ern note, Lee Trevino explains
How to Psych-Out Your Opponent
and Annika Sorenstam weighs-in
on course management.
I found a column by Rube
Goldberg (1924) to be a hoot.
Yeah, the same Rube Goldberg
who designed all those wacky
contraptions. He is obviously a

smart guy, yet he could not figure
out how to master the golf course.
His take is that the courses are
designed for right-handed golfers
(he's a lefty). He must be one of
those conspiracy theorists!
Great Golf contains a total of
127 essays, enough to keep you
busy longer that the five-man
scramble I played in last week
(and that was a slow round!). A
few other notable contributors,
from 1857 to the present include:
Nick Faldo, Butch Harmon, Nancy
Lopez, Butch Harmon, Jack Nick-
laus, Harvey Penick and Sam
Snead.
I hope we don't have any more
hurricanes that require reading
instead of playing, but Great Golf
will complement your game and
make an excellent reference
source for any part of your game
that requires attention.
Great Golf is published by Stew-
art, Tabori & Chang, retails for
$29.95 and can be found at your
local bookstore.

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8 The Okeechobee News, Sunday, October 30, 2005

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*Providers are subject to change. Partial list only, call us or visit AdvantageCare.com for a complete list.
**Except for emergencies, typically, patients are admitted to the facility where the admitting physician has staff privileges.
Offered by METCARE Health Plans, Inc. A Medicare Advantage Organization with a Medicare contract. All Medicare beneficiaries with Parts A and B may apply. A sales
representative will be present with information and applications. For accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings, please call 877-MY-ADV-CARE.
MR0054a 07/2005

Hospitals**

Adataear s o aalaie i

The Okeechobee News, Sunday, October 30, 2005

Community Events

Kiwanis to host Farm-City Week lunch
The Kiwanis will host their 12th annual Farm-City Week Luncheon
on Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Okeechobee KOA, 4276 U.S. 441 S. Serv-
ing will begin at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $6 each and can be purchased
at Farm Credit, Farm Bureau or any Kiwanis member, or at the door on
the day of the event. Farm-City Week is a nationally-sponsored pro-
gram that strives to bring farmers and other agriculturists together with
the general public.
Bazaar helps aid missionary projects
The Okecchobee Presbyterian Church, 312 N. Parrott Ave., will host
an old-fashioned hazaai on Saturday, Nov. 12, beginning at 9 a.m.
There will be many haind-crafted items, white elephant items and
baked goods foi sale. The event is sponsored by the ladies of the
church, with the proceeds going toward their support of missionary
projects. Ior information, call (863) 467-2482 or (863) 824-0013.
Mason's to host turkey dinner
The Okeechobee Masonic Lodge, 107 N.W Fifth Ave., will host
their annual turkey dinner on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 4 until 7 p.m.
Proceeds from the dinner will benefit distressed worthy brothers. Eat
in or take out will be available. The suggested donation for adults is $6,
and for children under the age of 10 it is $3. The children's plate will
not be available for take out. For ticket information call Rich Sweet at
(863) 824-0262; Kip Gardner at (863) 357-0427; Matt Buxton at (863)
357-9992; or, any member of Okeechobee Lodge #237, F&AM.
Church to host Blackwood Legacy group
The Blackwood Legacy group will be in concert Wednesday, Nov.
16, at the Living Word of Faith Church, 1902 S. Parrott Ave., beginning
at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Blackwood Legacy features Rick Price, for-
mer lead singer of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, and Perry Jones,
formerly of the group Mercy Me. For information, call (863) 763-6869.
Chamber hosting self defense class
The Okeechobee Chamber of Commerce, 55 S. Parrott Ave., will
host a class on Thursday, Nov. 17, on personal self defense which will
help participants obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The
cost is $15 and must be paid in'advance at the Chamber. Class size will
be limited to the first 20 to pay their fees. Others who wish to take the
class will be placed on the list for the December class. The November
class will be from 7 until 8:15 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 19, the class will
meet at the Chamber around 8 a.m. to go to the shooting range. If you
do not have a gun or ear plugs they will be provided. For information,
call the Chamber at (863) 763-6464.
GPS training program offered
Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla 57 will host a newly revised GPS train-
ing program Saturday Nov. 19. Boaters will be taught the Global Mar-
itime Distress and Safety System and how it can get you out of trouble.
Anyone considering buying new electronics for their boat should
attend this program and learn how the GPS unit, marine radio, and
how the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon are linked
together. Seating is limited. Call (863) 467-3085 for information or to
pre-register.
Chamber plans fall festival
The Okeechobee County Chamber of Commerce will hold their
annual fall festival in Flagler Park Nov. 19-20. Vendor applications are
available at the Chamber office, 55 S. Parrott Ave. For information, call
(863) 763-6464.
Eastern Star plans fashion show
The Okeechobee Order of the Eastern Star #128 will hold their
ninth annual Holiday Fashion Show on Saturday, Dec. 3, beginning at
11:45. a.m. The show will be held in the Okeechobee Masonic Lodge,
107 N.W Fifth Ave. There will be a tea cup auction, door prizes and
food for a suggested donation of $8 per person. Seating is limited. For
tickets contact Mary Ann Holt (863) 763-5210, Prs, Blac (863) 467-
7068 or Margaret Smith (8630 467-8020.
Christmas festival is planned
The annual Christmas festival sponsored by the Okeechobee Coun-
ty Chamber of Commerce will be held Dec. 10 in Flagler Park. Vendor
applications are available at the Chamber office, 55 S. Parrott Ave. For
information, call the Chamber at (863) 763-6464.
Christmas parade will be Dec. 10
This year's Okeechobee County Chamber of Commerce Lighted
Christmas parade will be held in downtown Okeechobee on Dec. 10,
beginning at dusk. Applications are available at the Chamber office, 55
S. Parrott Ave. For information, call the Chamber at (863) 763-6464.
OHS teams selling discount cards
The OHS Brahman boys and girls basketball teams are selling their
annual discount cards for $10 each. The card offers continuous dis-
counts to 18 various businesses throughout the year. If you would like
to purchase your discount card, contact coach Enrico or coach Pung at
(863) 462-5043.
Habitat for Humanity needs volunteers
Habitat for Humanity, an ecumenical housing.ministry working in
partnership with the community and local families in need, is looking
for volunteers to help complete construction on their first house. Con-
struction experience is appreciated but not required. Work days are
Saturday and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Volunteers are also
needed to work on the following committees: public relations,
fundraising, legal advice, family support and volunteer coordination.
An experienced bookkeeper is also needed. Call (863) 357-1371 for
information.

Regions accepts Red Cross donations
All Regions banks can now accept donations to the American Red
Cross disaster relief efforts. Cash and checks will be accepted at any
Regions bank. Locally, Regions Bank is located at 305 E. N. Park St.
Checks must be written to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina
Disaster Relief Fund, and the customer will be given a Red Cross
receipt.
Benefits help available for vets
Veterans and their family members that have been displaced due to
Hurricane Katrina and have moved to the Okeechobee may contact
the County Veterans Service officer for benefits assistance at (863) 763-
8124. The County Veterans Service Office is located at 462 U.S. 98 N. in
the County Administration Annex. The office is open Monday-Thurs-
day, 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., and on Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Baptist Church opens library
First Baptist Church Library invites everyone to check out books,
tapes, CDs, DVDs and Christian materials. They are open Tuesday from
10 a.m. until 1 p.m.; Wednesday, from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m.; and, Sun-
days from 6 until 6:30 p.m. They are located at 401 S.W Fourth St. For
information, call (863) 763-2171.
DAR opens essay contest
It is again time for the National Society Daughters of the American
Revolution to sponsor their annual American Essay Contest. The con-
test is open to public, private and parochial schools and those who are
home schooled and will start on the first day of school. The essays
have to be turned in by Dec. 1. This year's subject for grades five
through eight is "Benjamin Franklin- More than a Revolutionary". Jan.
17, 2006, marks the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth.
"The Santa Maria to the New World and the Apollo Mission to the
Moon: Christopher Columbus and the Astronauts" is the subject cho-
sen for grades nine through 12. American Essay Contest Certificates
and Excellence in History Medals will be presented to the contestants.
The winner from each school will receive a monetary award. For infor-
mation, call (863) 763-2492.
VNA giving flu shots
The Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) will be giving flu shots in
their offices at 208 S.E. Park St. The shots will be given from 9 until 11
a.m. and from 1 until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is no
charge for Medicare patients. For those who do not have Medicare, the
charge will be $30.
Children's Ranch plans yard sales
The Real Life Children's Ranch, 7777 U.S. 441 S.E., will hold yard
sales every Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Funds from
the sales help support activities for the children. Usable donations are
always accepted and should be taken to the ranch on U.S. 441 S.E. For
information, contact Rosie at (863) 763-4242.
Civil Air Patrol is forming
The United States Air Force Auxiliary is forming a Civil Air Patrol unit
in Okeechobee, and senior members and cadets'are being recruited.
Youths between the ages of 12 and 18 are eligible. Senior members are
needed to administer the unit and provide supervision for the cadets.
The three main missions of the Civil Air Patrol are emergency services,
aerospace education and cadet programs. Senior members and cadets
work side by side to accomplish these missions. If you are interested in
becoming a cadet or senior member, contact Gene O'Neill at the
Okeechobee Emergency Operations Center, (863) 763-3212.
Grace Christian Schools seek help
Grace Christian Schools has K-3 openings at this time. For informa-
tion, call Grace Christian Schools at (863) 763-3072.
Red Cross needs instructors
Have you saved a life today? Volunteer as an American Red Cross
Instructor and teach others the skills they need to save lives. You can
help the American Red Cross reach people in your community with
lifesaving training, including CPR, First Aid, Automated External Defib-
rillation, and HIV/AIDS Prevention. Contact the Okeechobee Branch of
the American Red Cross at (863) 763-2488 to find out more.
Red Cross seeks DAT volunteers
The American Red Cross is looking for volunteers to be part of their
Disaster Action Team (DAT). The DAT is made up of a group of trained
volunteers who respond to local disasters such as structure fires,
floods, etc. If you would like to give of your time and talents to help
local citizens in a time of disaster, please contact Debbie or Candace at
the American Red Cross Okeechobee Branch by calling (863) 763-
2488.
Food pantry reopens
Okeechobee Presbyterian Church Food Pantry, 312 N. Parrott Ave.,
is open again. It is located in the back parking lot of'the church. The
temporary gray box is stocked-and ready for anyone who needs food.
All you need is an I.D. The hours of operation are Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday from 9 a.m. until noon.
My Aunt's House seeking volunteers
My Aunt's House, Inc. a 501 (c) (3) organization is looking for two
to three volunteers to work in our Closet any day, or days, Monday
through Friday during the hours of 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. We are also look-
ing for a volunteer to become the director and a board member of The
Clothes Closet. The volunteer should communicate well with the pub-
lic and should be able to seek support from city and county officials,
business executives and other organizations. Work days and hours are
flexible. Call (863) 634-2306 for information.

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467-1545

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Clewiston "Our local com-
munities have been severely dam-
aged. We are working with local
officials and FP&L to try to restore
power to critical community servic-
es. At this time, Clewiston and Belle
Glade are virtually without power
and running water. Many area
houses have been destroyed and
most of our employees are without
basic services," said Robert Coker,
Senior Vice President,
PublicAffairs.
Coker said that the company is
preparing land near the Clewiston
Airport for FEMA housing and are
working to provide land for hurri-
cane and agricultural debris.
"We are trying to restore critical
administrative functions at U.S.
Sugar, and we have begun the
process of assessing damage
throughout our operations," Coker
said.
Sugar Operations
Harvest and processing opera-

tions on the eastern side (Bryant
Mill) were suspended as the hurri-
cane moved toward Florida.
Due to the approaching storm,
we did not begin our scheduled
harvest on the western side serving
the Clewiston Mill. The Clewiston
Refinery closed during the week-
end prior to the storm and is
expected to be back up and run-
ning soon.
Sugar farming and processing
operations throughout the Glades
suffered substantial damage as a
result of Wilma's 100+ mph wind
and rain. The
sugarcane crop has substantial
damage across the entire growing
area.
The extent of the damage is not
known at this time, as we are in the
process of looking at each field,
many of which remain flooded. It
will be some time before we have
initial damage estimates.
Our sugar mills also suffered
structural damage, in particular the

cooling towers and sugar storage
warehouses. In fact, all of the sugar
mills and warehouses in the Glades
area have been hit hard. Storage
warehouses are a critical part of the
sugar processing, as raw sugar is
stored to be sold and refined
throughout the year. Equipment
shops have been damaged and our
entire operations are without
power.
U.S. Sugar's internal railroad
suffered significant damage as
locomotives and railcars were
blown over, around and off the
tracks due to hurricane and torna-
do forces. Railroad tracks also sus-
tained significant damage and
crossing guards have been blown
down. We are working closely with
DOT to deal with these issues.
At this time, we do not know
when sugarcane harvesting and
processing will resume.
Citrus Operations
Although Florida Citrus Mutual

released an original estimate of
10-15 percent
citrus crop loss; our early
assessment reveals that number
seriously
underestimates the loss. From
what we have seen in our own
and other area citrus groves,
approximately 40-50 percent of
the fruit is on the ground. Further
fruit loss most probably will occur
from these hurricane-damaged
trees.
Our Southern Gardens Citrus
Processing facility suffered signifi-
cant
structural damage, but it does
have the ability to operate. We
plan to begin salvage harvesting
and processing fruit on Monday.
We intend to get as much of the
dropped fruit into the plant as
possible to limit crop losses.
We will have more informa-
tion as our ongoing field by field
damage assessments are com-
pleted.

Ornamental pumpkins can be grown in Fla.

By Tom Nordlie
University of Florida
HASTINGS Pumpkins are a
familiar sight in grocery stores at
Halloween, but you won't find
many on Florida farms the hot cli-
mate creates tricky growing condi-
tions that are no treat for the cold-
loving gourds.
After five years of research, Uni-
versity of Florida experts have iden-
tified eight heat-tolerant, ornamen-
tal pumpkin varieties that could
help Northeast Florida farmers
diversify, and give consumers new
ways to add autumn atmosphere
to their homes.
"These pumpkins are used pri-
marily for decoration, although
some of them could be carved or
cooked," said Chad Hutchinson,
an associate professor with UF's
Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences. "Most of them are small,
but they're very eye-catching."
Varieties suitable for Northeast
Florida include the reddish Cin-
derella, the flat Long Island Cheese,
the green Jarrahdale and several
miniature types, including Jack Be
Little, Baby Boo and Munchkin, Mr.
Hutchinson said. The pumpkins
were evaluated at UF's Hastings
Demonstration Unit in St. Johns
County.
Some of the recommended
varieties are already sold by Florida
retailers, who obtain them from
producers further north, he said:
Locally grown pumpkins would
probably be sold in-state to pro-
duce wholesalers.
"With the cost of diesel fuel so
high now, we believe our produc-
ers could offer a better price than
the competition, because there's
less shipping involved," Mr.
Hutchinson said.
Interest in alternative crops is
high in St. Johns, Putnam and Fla-
gler Counties, because the potato
market that once dominated farm-
ing has declined in recent years, he
said. In the early 1980s, potatoes
were produced on about 34,000
acres in the region; this year they
accounted for just 17,000 acres.
Crops such as sod, cabbage and

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Asian vegetables have become
more popular as a result.
"For growers, pumpkins are a
good complement to potatoes for
a couple of reasons," Mr. Hutchin-
son said "Florida's potato season
ends in earl\ July, the right line to
plant pumpkins. And the two crops
are diflerent i tnrris of their dis-
ease and pest pressures and nutri-
tional needs, so they can be grown
on the same fields."
Mr. Hutchinson said he's still
seeking a large, Florida-friendly
pumpkin ideal for making jack-o'-
lanterns, which could be the key to
opening another new market for
farmers commercial "u- pick"
pumpkin patches.
"Up north, taking your kids out
to the country to buy a pumpkin is
a great fall tradition and I think that
kind of business could catch on
here," he said. "It's one example of
how farmers can be more success-
ful by offering consumers a memo-

rable experience.to go along with'
the product they're selling."
Several Northeast Florida
farmers have expressed interest
in pumpkins already, said Doug
Gergela, a biological scientist at
the Hastings unit.
"We're excited about the pos-
sibilities, but we do encourage
growers to make sure they under-
stand what's involved before
committing any resources to this
crop," Mr. Gergela said. "Part of
our job is to minimize their risk
when they try something new."
Like other UF demonstration
sites, the Hastings unit evaluates
crop varieties to determine which
ones will grow best under local
conditions, he said. Researchers
there evaluate about 30 pumpkin
varieties each year.
Many pumpkin plants don't
produce well in Florida because
the state's heat discourages pro-
duction of female flowers, reduc-
ing the number of fruit per acre,
Mr. Gergela said.
But heat shouldn't be a prob-
lem for another type of pumpkin
Mr. Gergela and Mr. Hutchinson
are investigating. Edible pump-
kins known as calabaza, popular
in Latin American cuisine, are
native to hot climates and may be
a suitable crop for Northeast
Florida growers.
"Currently, most calabaza sold
in the United States are imported
from Central America," Mr.
Gergela said. "So if our growers
can offer a competitive product, I
think there's a possibility of get-
ting a foothold in that market."
The trials under way in Hast-
ings include calabaza varieties
developed at UF by pumpkin
expert Don Maynard. Calabaza
are now grown on a few hundred
acres in South Florida.
Researchers also'are evaluat-
ing winter squashes, which are
closely related to pumpkins, Mr.
Gergela said. Several varieties
appear suitable for Northeast
Florida production.
"There's an acorn squash
called Carnival that produces

well and can be stored for three
to four months after harvest,
extending the marketing window
for growers," he said. "Some vari-
eties of butternut squash show
good potential as well."
Though commonly considered
vegetables, squashes and pump-
kins are actually fruits, members of
the gourd family. Some varieties of
pumpkin, such as Atlantic Giant,
can weigh more than 1,000
pounds.

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Okeechobee News

The Okeechobee News, Sunday, October 30, 2005

10 AGRICULTURE

~BJE 3

The Okeechobee News, Sunday, October 30, 2005 11

Briefs

Halfway House
looks for volunteers
Eckerd Intensive Halfway
House, 800 N.E.72nd Circle N., is
looking for volunteers to work
with our adolescent boys. If you
have any free time or talents you
would like to share, call Ed Wimes
at (863) 357-0047.

Church offers
lending library
You are invited to become a
patron of the Family Church Lend-
ing Library, on the corner of north-
west Second Street and Second
Avenue. Entertain or educate
yourself, using 486 audiocassettes,
including audio books, plus Chris-
tian romances and 575 videos.
Prepare a paper on comparative
religion, a book report, programs
for men, women or children, a

craft project or a Sunday school
lesson. We use the Dewey Deci-
mal System, the same as school
and public libraries. As a private
library we can and do preview our
media. Currently, the library is
staffed Sunday from 9:30 a.m.
until 12:30 p.m., and Wednesday
evening from 6 until 8 p.m. Con-
tact Doris Entry at (863) 763-4021.

Free adult GED
classes are offered
Indian River Community Col-
lege will be offering free adult
basic education/GED and English
as a second language classes at
these locations: Dixon Hendry
Center, 2229 N.W Ninth Ave., Eng-
lish as second language classes,
Monday and Wednesday from 10
a.m. until noon, adult basic edu-
cation/GED, Monday through
Thursday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
and Friday from 8 a.m. until 4
p.m.; Seminole Reservation,
Brighton, Adult basic
education/GED, Tuesday and
Thursday from 4:30 until 6:30
p.m.; Church at Larson Dairy, S.R.
70 East, English as a second lan-
guage, Tuesday and Thursday,
from 4 until 8 p.m.; One-Stop, 123
S.W. Park St., adult basic educa-
tion/GED, Monday through Thurs-

You can be a
volunteer mentor
Help encourage a middle or
high school student to reach his or
her full potential and become a
volunteer mentor for the Presi-
dent's Challenge to SOAR/Take
Stock in Children Scholarship pro-
gram. It's a proven life-changing
program that provides four-year
college scholarships to deserving
sixth and ninth graders in local
communities. The mentor meets
with the student one hour per
week at his/her school. Volunteer
opportunities are available in Indi-
an River, Martin, St. Lucie and

Okeechobee counties. Please call
the Indian River Community Col-
lege Foundation at (772) 462-
4786.

Library hosting
computer classes

The Heartland Library Cooper-
ative is a six library cooperative
serving Highlands, Hardee, DeSo-
to and Okeechobee counties. The
Heartland Library Cooperative will
be holding basic and advanced
computer classes throughout the
six libraries in the four-county
area. A technology information
trainer will take a mobile comput-
er lab to each location four times
per month to teach computer
classes. The classes will teach
basic computer skills such as how
to start up and use a computer,
how to log-on to the Internet and
how to communicate via e-mail
with friends and relatives. The
more advanced computer class
will teach how to keep the com-
puter clean and how to send pic-
tures. You may also contact your
local libraries for these same class-
es. In Okeechobee, call (863) 763-
3536 or contact Gabriell Turner,
information tech trainer, at
gabi@myhlc.org.

Rules for placing FREE ads!
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advance payment. These
classifications are denoted
with an asterisk *.
Auctions 105
Car Pool 110
Share a ride 115
Card of Thanks 120
In Memoriam 125
Found 130
Lost 135
Give Away 140
GarageYard Sale 145
Personals 150
Special Notices 155
900 Numbers 160

Superior Water Works, Inc.
is looking for an
INVENTORY CONTROL MANAGER
Full Time, Excellent Benefits and
Compensation Package.
ALSO NEEDED: SERVICE MEN must have CDL Lic.
Apply in person at
Superior Water Works, Inc.,
917 S.W. Park St., Okeechobee FL.

IMMEDIATE OPENINGS)
CITY OF OKEECHOBEE
CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICERS)
The City of Okeechobee is now accepting applications for Cer-
tified Police officess. Applications can be obtained by contact-
ing the City Clerks Office at City Hall, 55 SE 3rd Avenue,
S-Rm. 100, Okeechobee, FL,T863)763-3372x215,
or www.cityofokeechobee.com. Applications must be
returned by 4:30 p.m. on Monday November 14, 2005.
Successful candidates are required to have a clean driving
record forthree years and pass a pre-employment substance
screening/physical.
Drug free.workplace/EOE/ADA.
Lane Gamiotea, CMC, City Clerk/Personnel Administrator.

Start a new career in the much needed field of
nursing as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Complete the
Hospitality Assistant course/training at Okeechobee
Healthcare Facility and become a CNA in 4 weeks. Next
class begins soon. Instructor RN/experienced teacher has
a very high CNA exam passing rate. Qualified CNAs are
then eligible for LPN training. Good benefits.
Apply In Person For Further Details:
406 N.W. 4th Street (863) 357-2442

NOTICE
Independent Newspapers will
never accept any advertise-
ment that is illegal or con-
sidered fraudulent. In all
cases of questionable val-
ue, such as promises of
guaranteed income from
work-at-home programs if
it sounds too good to be
true, chances are that it is.
If you have questions or
doubts about any ad on
these pages, we advise that
before responding or send-
ing money ahead of time,
you check with the Better
Business Bureau at
772-878-2010 for previous
complaints.
Some 800 and 900 telephone
numbers may require an
extra charge, as well as
long distance toll costs. We
will do our best to alert our
reader of these charges in
the ads, but occasionally
we may not be aware of the
charges. Therefore, if you
call a number out of your
area, use caution.

NEW!!! Waterfront 3B/R
homes available starting at
$310,000. Close to town.
Split plans, Owner suites,
large kitchens, 2 car garage.
Won't last! (863)763-6376
How fast can your car
go? It can go even
faster when you sell it
in the classified.

Community Events
New historical mugs on sale
The Okeechobee Historical Society has a new shipment of histori-
cal Okeechobee County Courthouse mugs and mugs with a picture of
the old High School for $6 each on sale at the Chamber of Commerce.
They also have a small booklet entitled "Pictorial History of Okee-
chobee" which sells for $4.
Enrollment starts for VPK program
The Agency for Workforce Innovation is starting the registration
process for parents to enroll their children in the state's new Voluntary
Prekindergarten (VPK) program. Eligible children must live in Florida
and be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the 2005-06 school year. Par-
ents can find the registration form online at www.vpkflorida.org; or,
they can contact their nearest Early Learning Coalition for a paper copy
of the registration.
County plat directory offered
The 2005 Okeechobee County Plat Directory is now for sale at the
Okeechobee Soil & Water Conservation office on U.S. 98 N. For infor-
mation, call (863) 763-3619, ext. 502.
Gospel Lighthouse will meet
A newly-formed congregation, The Gospel Lighthouse, will meet
every Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the Christian 7th Day Baptist Church, 914
N.W Park St. There will be old camp meeting style of preaching, pray-
ing and singing. For information, contact Reverend Elma J. Hampton
at (863) 357-0455.
Legion sponsoring fundraiser
The American Legion Memorial Post 64, the Ladies Auxiliary and
the Sons of the Legion in conjunction with Environmental Control are
sponsoring a fundraiser. We ask that you donate your used or empty
laser printer cartridges and ink jets to the Post. The Post will receive a
donation from ECC. All monies received from this project will be used
to purchase supplies for the needy school children in the Okeechobee
County School system. Boxes will be made available at the following
locations: American Legion, 501 S.E. Second Ave.; Chamber of Com-
merce, 55 S. Parrott Ave.; and Smith's Computer Service, S.W. Park
Street. Additional collection points will be made available at a later
date. For information, call John R. Rooney at (863) 763-2950 or (863)
763-8971.
Free pregnancy tests offered
The Pregnancy Resource Center of Okeechobee, a non-profit
organization, is now available to offer free pregnancy testing to girls
and women of all ages. We offer free and confidential pregnancy tests,
peer counseling, referrals for a free ultrasound, parenting classes and
abstinence education. Operating hours are from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
on Tuesday and Thursdays. Parenting classes are held at 7 p.m. on
Tuesday. We are located at 1505 S. Parrott Ave., across from the
movie theatre. If you would like more information on this or set an
appointment for a free pregnancy test please call (863) 763-8859.
Free adult GED classes offered
Indian River Community College will be offering free adult basic
education/GED and English as a second language classes at these loca-
tions: Dixon Hendry Center, 2229 N.W Ninth Ave., English as second
language classes, Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until noon,
adult basic education/GED, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.
until 8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.; Seminole Reservation,
Brighton, Adults basic education/GED, Tuesday and Thursday from
4:30 until 6:30 p.m.; Church at Larson Dairy, S.R. 70 East, Englishas as
second language, Tuesday and Thursday, from 4 until 8 p.m.; One-
Stop, 123 S.W. Park St., adult basic education/GED, Monday through
Thursday, from 7 a.m. until noon; El Centro Santa Fe, 115 S.W Fifth
Aver, Citizenship class, Thursday, from 6:30 until 9 p.m.; Yearling Mid-
dle School, 925, N.W\ 23 Lane, adult basic education/GED and English
as second Janguage classes, Monday through Thursday, from 6 until
9 p.m.; Everglades Elementarry, 3725 S.E. Eighth St., English as a sec-
ond language classes, Tuesday and Thursday from 6 until 9 p.m.; and,
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 701 S.W. Sixth St., English as a second

Publix Super Markets Charities is donating $1 million
to United Way to help those most affected by Hurricane Wilma.

You can help,too.
Donate to the Hurricane Wilma Relief Fund
right at the register.
Your neighborhood Publix has a quick way for you
to help support relief efforts.
Donate any amount you choose by adding it to your grocery
total. All money collected will be channeled through
United Way and its affiliated agencies.
Cash contributions are the most efficient way to get help
to the people who need it most.
We expect to continue this program at our stores for a few
weeks. Thank you for your thoughtful concern and
generous donations.